St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-31

suspect that we will not grow Disguised
enough with it to thoroughly uproot it
until it. has reached it's climax. The
worst fact about it is that it is
not confined to the low and
the illiterate, but has invaded the.
public schools, cultured society and the
literature of our books. / admit that
some of the expressions are forcible and
full of adequateness, among which
might name ''fired out" colossal
cheek" etc. Still, even they ought to
de tabOoed. But what excuse can pos
Sbly be offered for such words as ''gal-
loot, "chump," ''sardine," kicker"
sskid." etc. Or such expressions as
..waltzed off on his ear,n II should
snicker," ''now you're shOutin'," etc.
They. are scarcely emphatic, and
certainly not not polite; polite. Even the
ton, and speak about "his royal
nibs'' or the 'hOwling swell" The girl
of to-day is ready to ''bet her bottom
dollar" wants to know what you're
givin' her. lets you know you shall
-eOme off," "skedaddle," ''vamooSe,"
'.absquatulate," and all that. You do
her slight favor and she exclaims, 80,
thanks, awfully." Why she should
thank you with reverend fear" is
beyond your comprehension. Ask her
to sing your fayOrite sentimental
ballad. and she will probably
say, 80, Mr.. -, | cawn't. It's too ut
teriy too-toO!" While playing lawn
tennis with her, she suddenly cries out:
20, you given me such twist" You
feel exceeding alarmed; you are afraid
that her collar bone is broken, or at
least that her wrist has been diSlo-
Gated. You discover. however, that
it is lawn tennis slang, and that
your sympathy has been wasted. She
confidently tells you that Jennie Some
body is mo good" and had the ''cheek"
to propose to scratch" her at the next
meeting of the club because she hadn't
''fOrked over" the ''spOndulickS" for
the last quarter. All that is to be dep
recated, but the girls, heaven bless
them, look so pretty and use the term
so artlessly that | haven't the heart to
lie severe in my reprOOf.
1t isn't pleasant to be accOsted by
ones five-year-old hopeful as an "old
snoozer," or to know that he is lying in
wait to knock the stuffin'" out of
with him. Or to hear our ShOrt-Skirted,
but high-spirited daughter tell the afore-
said brother that she wishes the other
boy would paste him on the snoOt," or
'.knock him clean out of the box or
''intO the middle of next week" l don't
know that am especially sensitive and
yet must say that such expressions
send the creeps up my back.
The editor filings nasty quill;'' the
hired girl is ''pot-rastler;" when a
thing suits us it's ''just the cheese"
when too noisy we are told to dry up' .
or to "suspend;" when cunningly Oh
the alert we say mot if the court knows
ITSELF" if one day is not available,
smother one is; when we die we
pass in our checks" "are put away on
ice" and are finally "planted." Sol
might go on ad finitum. You can
think, l am sure, of at least 100
words and phrases to which have made
no reference. For inventing cute words
and phrases our country leads the pro-
fession. They are clever and apprOpri-
ate, get into the topical song and public
''catch," and they live and thrive and in
many instances the dictionary finally
legitimiZeS them.
Slang. insist. is the fungus on the
stem. 1t is not the grated fruit. 1t is
the scum of the language, 1t often be-
Titles; it never beauties. If we all
spoke and wrote in less exaggerated
manner we would be less exaggerated
in our ways of life and thought. Life.
as well as speech. would perhaps grow
more simple, more true, more worth
living.